Speciality chemicals company Lanxess has opened a lab in Germany to test and further develop its materials for LFP batteries.

Lanxess said on September 4 the Krefeld-Uerdingen lab tests and develops battery materials based on iron oxide and iron phosphate.

Testing material properties of its products directly in battery cells allows the company and its customers to more quickly assess the impact of iron oxide and iron phosphate grades on cell performance, processability and suitability for specific applications.

The lab’s technical equipment is also suitable for other types of batteries.

Three-quarters of all electric vehicles use LFP battery tech in China. Meanwhile, the LFP market share in Europe is forecast to hit 50% by 2030 — an increase of 10% from now.

In addition to EVs, demand for LFP materials is being driven by stationary energy storage systems for renewable energy, datacentres and critical infrastructure.

Murat Gürsoy, head of innovation for iron oxides and iron phosphate at Lanxess, said cell manufacturers increasingly consider more than just raw material availability.

“What matters is the reliability of processing and its contribution to cell performance. This is precisely where our laboratory comes in. We bring material development and cell testing closer together. This gives us an earlier indication of whether a material works in a real cell assembly.”

Lanxess has more than a century of experience in manufacturing iron oxide and has developed specialised grades that can be used as raw materials in the synthesis of LFP cathode materials.

In addition to precursors for LFP cathode materials, the company offers key chemicals for electrolyte salts.

In September 2025, China’s CATL unveiled an LFP-based EV battery, Shenxing Pro’, specifically targeting the European market.